For the last 20 years there has been a lively debate. It is a fight between allowing nature to take its course on one side and protection of a landscape rich in monuments of the past and history on the other side. There are proponents for coast protection and opponents of coast protection.

Lønstrup Cliff is geologically unique. This has been given as an important reason for there not being coast protection around Mårup Church; nature shall take its course.

The church is unique for Lønstrup. From that point of view the church should be protected, because it gives meaning to the location. Without the church it is just an empty field. The church is also unique because of the people associated with it. It is seen as being immoral to fail to save a churchyard of a church, because it is a religious place, a grave is seen on the picture to the right. Therefore the dismissal of coast protection is seen as the dismissal of culture in favour of nature.

A grave in danger after yet another landslide, September 2007.

Action plan

Many factors play in in the considerations concerning Mårup Church’s future. It is the Forest and Nature Agency that owns the church, and in 2008 it, together with a contact group for Mårup Church, worked out a plan; so that the church would not be allowed to crash into the sea.

According to the action plan the church shall be taken down controlled to a height of approx. 2 metres, if there does not, in the course of 2008, come into effect a coast protection that will effectively prevent further erosion.